Sentence Fragment
A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It often lacks a subject, a verb, or both, making it unable to stand alone as a complete sentence. For example, "When we went to the store" is a fragment because it leaves the reader expecting more information.
Fragments can occur in writing when a writer mistakenly omits necessary components or uses dependent clauses without an independent clause. While fragments can be used for stylistic purposes in creative writing, they are generally considered errors in formal writing. Correcting a fragment typically involves adding the missing elements to form a complete sentence.